UI: ‘You Spoke Out and We Listened’

At the beginning of this month, The United Illuminating Company (UI)
began discussing a limited pilot program to expand the pruning and
removal of trees around overhead power lines in order to reduce threats
to reliable electric service and public safety. Although many customers
expressed support for the program’s overall goals, many also raised
concerns about its potential impact on roadside trees and the character
of neighborhoods.

“Our customers spoke and we listened. We heard what they had to say,”
said Joseph D. Thomas, vice president for Electric System Operations at
UI, electric subsidiary of UIL Holdings Corporation. “As a result, we
have asked the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA)
to hold a technical meeting so that PURA, UI and other interested
parties can discuss the concerns we’ve heard from many of our customers,
while also dealing with the initial objective of reducing tree-related
outages.”

Thomas said at the technical meeting, the company will discuss recent
developments and explore additional options that could, in fact, leave
some trees within the “utility protection zone” — an area extending 8
feet to either side of overhead electric lines, from ground to sky.

Under the current plan, when a customer objects to UI’s request to prune
or remove a privately owned tree within the zone, UI honors the
customer’s wishes, documents the request and moves to the next location.
Work on trees in the public right-of-way needs approval from the city or
town’s tree warden. UI would not expect any changes to current customer
rights. However, giving the utility an alternative option would
alleviate public concern and offer an additional potential balance in
meeting the plan’s ultimate goal……..customer reliability during major
storm events.

“Based on our experiences, hundreds of customers have already provided
their consent when permission is asked to trim or remove trees on their
private property that could fall and cause future outages,” Thomas
added. “However, trees in the public right-of-way have obviously been a
source of concern for some customers, municipal and state elected
officials. Hopefully we can find a solution that meets most of the
public need.”

Thomas said that UI is sensitive to customers’ and neighbors’ concerns,
and will continue to work with local tree wardens, elected officials,
community organizations and others to ensure that the program is
conducted with transparency, and is appropriate to the neighborhood’s
needs.

Typically, PURA’s technical meetings provide an opportunity to discuss
aspects of regulatory orders and work through details of the issue at
hand. These meetings are open to the public.

The new program was developed as a result of a series of meetings and
findings from several stakeholders from local and state officials,
special two storm panel, input from other interested parties and the
Connecticut General Assembly’s adoption of Public Act 13-298. Public
concern and state investigations into the widespread outages that
followed extreme weather events in 2011 and 2012 were the catalyst for
change.

An estimated 90 percent of the 210,000 UI customer outages following
Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 were caused by trees and limbs falling on
electrical lines and equipment. Downed trees and limbs were also the
main culprit behind the 280,000 customer restored in the days after
Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

About UIL Holdings Corporation:

Headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut, UIL Holdings Corporation
(NYSE:UIL) is a diversified energy delivery company serving more than
700,000 electric and natural gas utility customers in 66 communities
across two states, with combined total assets of over $4 billion.

UIL is the parent company of The United Illuminating Company (UI),
The Southern Connecticut Gas Company (SCG), Connecticut Natural Gas
Corporation (CNG), and The Berkshire Gas Company (Berkshire), each more
than 100 years old. UI provides for the transmission and delivery of
electricity and other energy related services for Connecticut's Greater
New Haven and Bridgeport areas. SCG and CNG are natural gas distribution
companies that serve customers in Connecticut, while Berkshire Gas
serves natural gas customers in western Massachusetts. UIL employs more
than 1,850 people in the New England region.

Edison Electric Institute Winner

Emergency Response Award for Restoration, 2011 & 2012

Emergency Response Award for Assistance, 2012

Contacts

UIL Holdings CorporationMichael A. West Jr., 203-499-3858

Release Summary

Although many customers expressed support for the program’s overall goals, many also raised concerns about its potential impact on roadside trees and the character of neighborhoods.